
2021 – WTF?
It’s a year since the first lockdown, and at Midday everything will stop to remember the things that have been lost.
The lives that stopped.
The businesses that stopped.
The way of life we were used to that came to an abrupt stop.
It also marks exactly 80 days that an alarm has gone off in this house at 8pm.
Whatever we are doing, listening to, reading, watching –
We STOP.
You may have noticed that Amy has been posting 3 things that she’s grateful for each day –
the alarm reminds her to do it.
She didn’t say why, or make a big fanfare about it –
but over the past 80 days (since Jan 1) she’s quietly cracked on and found 240 different things to feel glad about.
I’ve written a lot about how people tell me they’re feeling,
where that’s probably coming from
and why that’s totally understandable.
In fact, we’re both getting ready to deliver a huge workshop next week where we look at some of those difficult feelings
teach people how to be Calm and Confident in a post-pandemic world.
How to get started again.
But
in the meantime –
I would absolutely recommend you take a leaf out of Amy’s book.
If you’re finding yourself in an ‘it’s so unfair’ moment –
(and it probably is) –
it will help.
What she’s doing, as a person –
and as a Neurological Physio expert – is backed by science.
The parts of your brain associated with gratitude the same parts that light up when you socialise and feel pleasure.
Feeling gratitude literally gives you a more positive and supportive attitude toward other people and lowers your stress.
When things are tough, and the World is insane, it feels frankly annoying and tree-huggy to MAKE yourself feel grateful,
but stay with me for a sec,
If our ancestors arrived in a time machine today they would find themselves in unimaginable, futuristic luxury.
They’d be running around, grinning, shouting WTF
(or whatever swear they said, back then),
shaking their heads in disbelief:
WIDE-EYED ANCESTOR:
- “WTF – Fresh running water
- WTF – Houses that you can heat up when you’re cold
- WTF – Fresh fruit in the Winter
- WTF – Antibiotics to cure things that normally would kill
- WTF – Little plastic devices that let you speak to people all over the world
- WTF – An internet where you can learn anything and read everything ever written
- WTF – Tablets that stop pain pretty much immediately
- WTF – Constant entertainment of any time of any type
- WTF – Cars, planes and trains that will (usually) take you anywhere you want on the planet
- WTF – Video messaging with your friend, or all your friends at once
- WTF – Education for free, for everyone.
- WTF – A world-class health service that will help you and fix you, whoever you are and whatever ridiculous thing you do to yourself,
- or terrible thing that’s happened to you. And not ask for a penny”
WHAT KIND OF SPACE AGE PARADISE IS THIS?????
Like most of the things that make you feel better –
you have to do them, even when you don’t feel like it.
Which will be more often than not.
If you walked around your house now – you would find a ton of things to be grateful for.
And if you did it with a smile, you’d release even more happy hormones – because that’s how it works.
- I’m grateful for being able to fix my Canon Printer (that’s possessed by Satan) so I can print out the letter I just wrote.
- I’m grateful for toilet paper so I can …. well you know.
- I’m grateful for windows so I can see the sky.
- I’m grateful for my garden as I can walk barefoot on the grass whenever I want.
- I’m grateful to Sainsbury’s for bringing me all the chilli and pepper smoked cheese.
- I’m grateful to have trainers so I can go for a run.
- I’m grateful to Spotify so I can blast out Muse while I type
Can you imagine what your descendants will say about what you have to put up with?
What they’ll be grateful for.
Because after we stop and remember – it will be time to move on.
Let’s move in the best direction possible.
I urge you to try it.
Why not set an alarm like Amy did.
3 things every day.
It’s an easy win.
Can you think of 3 now?
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